Just a dumb fuck

Fighting talk…

Saturday morning was a little overcast, the sun only occasionally breaking through the clouds. Everybody in the dorm was wearing combat uniform – ‘cabbage patch kid’ kit as Nat keeps on calling it – as we headed off for breakfast. Well, a bit of egg yolk isn’t going to show up too much on these uniforms and besides, we wanted to be seen by all the others. Set a marker. We’d even taken our field packs with us to breakfast and left them lined up, in march order, outside the ante-room.

We weren’t just wearing our camouflage uniforms, we looked good in them. Everything properly stowed in the correct pockets. The drawcords in the waists neatly pulled in to give us some shape. All our webbing belts and load carrying straps properly adjusted. Nothing flapping about. We definitely stood out in the dining room, scattered around amongst all the other freshmen, all of whom had yet to collect their field kit. They’ll be queuing up for it all morning.

Up on the officers’ table Kyle was wearing his camouflage too and looking very proud of us. Nathan was the same over with the sergeants. At half-eight all our guys were finished eating and eager to leave. Kyle could see us getting restless and smiled before rising from his table and walking over to the staff table, directly to where Jackson was sat with the Commandant and other senior staff. He whispered something to Jackson, who nodded, and then signalled to Nathan. We could go!

A lot of eyes were watching as we marched smartly to our packs, lifted them on, turned to face each other in pairs, checked all the fastening and straps were secure. Will and Noah paired off at the front, then Shane and Travis, with me and Nathan taking up the two rear positions in the section. Well, squad as they call it here. Kyle was at the front. We didn’t march down the path towards the field, we doubled. Where the path finishes and the field begins, still within sight of the windows of the ante-room, Kyle called out “Arrow” and we broke column formation and moved into an arrowhead shape. On cue, the guys spread out, remembering to adopt a random spacing between themselves. Okay, so I had drummed that bit into them hard on Thursday night, knowing it was critical we made a good show whilst we could still be seen by everyone back at the dining room, but it was still good to see it happen. I glanced across at Nathan who was now some thirty yards away from me over on the tail-end of the other echelon. He was grinning too.

The moment Kyle hit the shrub line at the far side of the field he pushed on, slowly, about twenty yards into the woods but Will and Noah halted just a yard or two inside of the bushes, sank down to one knee, turned around to face back the way we had come, watching as first Shane and Travis, then me and Nathan, crossed the wood line, pushed through their position, closed in on where Kyle was waiting for us. Once Nathan and I passed their positions, Noah and Will waited about thirty seconds then closed in to re-join us as we all clustered around Kyle in a low dip between some trees.

“All troops accounted for, Sir, and no-one following,” reported Will to Kyle. I couldn’t resist adding, “Bloody well done, guys, that’s thrown the gauntlet down.”

Kyle and Nathan looked at each other, then Kyle reached up to his own sleeve, tugged off his rank tab and put it in his pocket.

”Okay, Sergeant Bauer, you have command. The squad is yours until lunchtime.”

Nathan led us a few hundred yards further into the woods to a clearing that Will had identified for us from Google maps on Friday night. Will’s already taken on the role of our intelligence and signals support. Obviously I need to have a quiet word with Nathan though. He shouldn’t have led us to the harbour area. He needs to put somebody else up front as point man. Nat should be back in second or third position, it doesn’t do for the leader to get his legs blown off by stepping on a mine. Snipers tend to try and identify the leaders of a unit too, and being up front leading is a bit of a give away to them. But apart from that, yeah, not bad and, anyway, today is only the start. We’re not meant to be super-tactical ninjas yet. This is the first session of military training. Just collecting and getting used to the kit, learning how to pack it, wear it, adjust it. All the stuff we’ve already done back in the dorm. So now we can relax a little, enjoy the morning, get everybody switched on and enthused about learning new stuff so next week, if it’s raining, nobody minds so much.

At the clearing Nathan called us to a halt and after a brief period of observation and listening to check we weren’t being followed, gathered us all around him. He detailed Noah, Will, Shane and Travis to work in their pairs to make shelters from their ponchos, sticks and bungee cord before instructing Kyle to do the same. Obviously Kyle and Nathan know how to make shelters so they’ll actually be teaching the others. Once the shelters are up, everyone will be ordered to open their ration packs and taught how to cook some food. Before that though, there’s another quick lecture from me. Just a short, fifteen-minute talk on patrol base security.

I gathered everyone round and selected a nice twig to use as a pointer, drew a quick sketch of our clearing in a patch of bare earth. Laid out a few bits of broken twig, stones and leaves to mark out some of the local features. Pointed out the obvious lines of approach to our patrol base. Told everyone which route to use in and out of the site, and where they should never go.

“Okay,” said Nathan, as I concluded. “Everyone got that? It’s important.”

Everyone nodded.

“”Okay,” said Nat, “Boots and I are going out to scout around the site for an hour or so. Remember the points you have just heard about patrol base security. Correct lines of approach, challenges, all that stuff. Travis, I’m leaving you in charge whilst I’m gone. Keep everyone busy building shelters, Private Masters will help show you how. Keep an eye on him, don’t let him slack. Got that, Travis?”

Travis is beaming. “Got that, Sergeant. No slackers on my watch.” Suddenly I was almost feeling sorry for ‘private’ Masters.

Nathan and I retrieved a few items from our back packs then slipped out of the clearing along the designated approach line and circled back around through the woodland towards the playing fields. We settled down behind some bushes and  looked back towards the college. Breakfast was now concluded and we could see lines of cadets beginning to queue up outside the stores building. All armies are like that. Lots of ‘hurry up and wait’. Every now and again a freshman cadet would come staggering out of the stores, laden down with loads of field kit, and head off over to the main hall where most dorms would spend the next few hours unpacking their new uniforms and trying to make everything fit into their backpacks. We’d definitely had the advantage getting two guys per day fitted out and helping each other.

After observing for ten minutes or so, Nathan and I slipped back into the woods. Nathan reached into the general-purpose pouch on his webbing belt and took out a small plastic box. “This is what you asked if Riley could get for us. Be careful with them. I’m heading back off to the harbour now to make sure Travis hasn’t got Kyle tied to a tree and is teaching the guys how to throw tomahawks at him. I think they still do that in Dakota. I’ll see you back there in an hour.”

As Nathan headed back off towards the harbour area, I crept away in the other direction, circled round the back of where the guys had established our base. As I approached it I could hear them from about fifty yards away, busy laughing and joking, chopping stuff, bending branches. A couple of mess tins clattered. An occasional smell of wood smoke too. That’s okay. We’re not tactical ninjas yet.

Half an hour later I had finished my tasks and went back around to the designated entrance to the harbour area. About ten yards outside the base, barely visible under the shade of a tree and some carefully placed branches, Noah hissed at me.

“Halt. Who goes there?”

“Hartford”

“Advance, Connecticut” responded Noah and I moved towards him, being careful not to leave any trampled grass or broken twigs that could draw attention to his position. I stopped short of where he lay and spoke quietly.

“Noah, the Commandant and Cadet Captain Davis are just making their way into the woods to see what we’re up to. They’ll be coming down this path in about five to ten minutes’ time. They’ll be able to hear where we are. Challenge them like you did to me, but because they don’t know the password you’ll have to escort them in to the camp. Don’t salute them, and don’t take any guff from them. Until they are in camp they do as you say. Oh, and don’t be surprised if only the Commandant turns up. Just do the same and escort him in anyway. Got that?”

“Got that, Boots.”

I pulled back from Noah’s position and returned to the path a few yards away, took an old chocolate bar wrapper from my pocket and placed it clearly on the path with a stone inside it to weight it down, then went into the camp area. It looked good. Three shelters had been set up at the edge of the clearing, all partially screened by trees, and the rest of the guys were now gathered around a small fire in the clearing cooking the contents of their MRE packs. Dad says the US Army ration packs are crap and said that out in Ganniland the US Marines he worked alongside would trade almost anything for a pallet of our rat packs. Apparently MRE stands for ‘Meals Rejected by Ethiopians’.

I slipped in alongside Nathan and let him and the guys know that we were about to have visitors. They were actually cooking baked beans, hash browns and sausages in the mess tins, with some fried onions too. We’d taken our own grub to supplement the MRE packs. The sausages smelled really good and looked cooked almost to perfection. Though Nat was back in command, Travis looked to have taken control of the food. He’s used to hunting stuff and cooking it on a fire. They might not have electricity yet in Dakota.

“Okay, guys,” smiled Nathan, “Act like we don’t suspect anything, remember the plan…”

Five minutes later Noah appeared at the entrance to the camp, standing behind the Commandant.

“Keep going,” Noah said authoritatively, “right to the centre. You can’t do anything until the Sergeant has vouched for you.”

The Commandant smiled and walked over to where we were all seated around the fire. No one stood up or saluted.

“Welcome, Commandant,” said Nathan, “you’ve joined us just in time for lunch. Artilleryman Mason, you may stand down now. The Commandant is a friend.”

Noah joined us by the fire as Will suddenly produced a small collapsible camping chair from nowhere and folded it out for the Commandant to sit on. Travis was already scooping a couple of sausages into a mess tin, then holding it out for Shane to add some beans and onions before passing it to the Commandant. He looked impressed as a set of eating irons were passed over too, and begin to eat. Then he definitely looked impressed. He’d expected it to be a boily from the MRE packs.

“Nice day for a walk in the woods, Commandant,” smirked Nathan, “all alone and without a care in the world.”

The Commandant smiled and, between mouthfuls of sausage and beans, reached into his pocket and took out the chocolate bar wrapper. “I was ambushed by your sentry just as I picked up what I thought was litter. Then he marched me in here when I didn’t give the correct answer to his challenge. I’m glad he wasn’t armed…”  Noah was beaming proudly.

“Ah, wait until next week, Commandant,” laughed Nathan, “we might have improvised some tomahawks by then unless Private Masters manages to get us permission to have some rifles and blanks. They’d be very useful. You never know just who might be lurking out here in the woods. It was very brave of you to come alone…”

The Commandant finished his sausages and beans and put the mess tin down on the floor by his side. Everyone else had finished too, but there were a couple of hash browns and a helping of beans remaining in a mess tin keeping warm in the embers of the fire. Travis had judged the fire just right: dry twigs so as not to make much smoke and only the bare amount needed to cook the food before it died away to embers.

The Commandant scanned around the clearing and looked as though he was about to comment on the shelters that the guys had made when there was a sudden “POP” followed by a “Whoosh” about twenty or so yards beyond the edge of the clearing. Right where there was a little ravine and some dead ground we couldn’t see clearly. A bright red flare soared up into the air.

“Come on in, Captain, we’ve been expecting you,” shouted Kyle. “You’re late for lunch”

The Commandant joined in the laughing as Nathan turned to us and said, “Boots, Travis, go and bring Captain Davis in. We don’t want him setting any more flares off. Disarm the rest and collect them up.”

Jackson isn’t stupid. He’d had the sense to stop trying to creep up on us and wait for us to go and guide him through our traps. He enjoyed the food too, and even commented on the shelters the guys had put up. They weren’t bad for a first attempt.

After about twenty minutes the Commandant and Jackson headed down the path on their way back through the woods towards college, having had a chat off to one side with Nathan and Kyle before leaving. Whilst they were doing that, Travis had been told to supervise us taking down the shelters, clearing away the remains of the fire and making sure all our kit was packed and we were ready to go back to college.

As soon as Kyle and Nathan re-joined us, we were ready to leave.

“Okay, listen in,” said Nathan, “we’re moving back to the dorm in a non-tactical manner. We’re going to form up into a squad, double all the way across the fields, around the front of the college, past the main hall and then straight over the car lot to the dorm. Heads up and chests out. Tall and proud. Even the quarterback should be able to keep with the pace.”

Good choice of route, Nat. I’ll bet there are still lots of people trying to squash all their kit into the backpacks at the hall and trying to figure out where all the straps and attachments go.

We arrived back outside the accommodation block just a few minutes before half past twelve. Nathan drew us all up to attention, then stood us as ease before turning to Kyle and handing back the squad to him. Kyle slipped his rank tab on and then stepped forward to stand by Nathan.

“Okay, guys, that was well done today. I’m not going to keep you long because it’s already half twelve and Travis is giving me the death stare for keeping him from lunch.” We all laughed: Travis had definitely already eaten a few extra sausages as he was cooking them.

“Just a brief word about the remainder of the day. Once I fall you out, your time is your own for Activities. Drop your packs off up in the dorm and change into appropriate clothing. Noah and Travis, you already have passes out for the remainder of the day as you didn’t get into town on Wednesday. The minibus is running every half hour. Will and Shane, I believe you’re working on Lemon Steroid’s new intergalactic navigation system as part of Car Club. Is that right?”

“That’s right, Kyle.”

Kyle smiled and continued. “Unfortunately, Nathan’s discovering the joys of promotion. His scheduled pass out has been cancelled now he’s a Sergeant so he can be the Orderly Sergeant at the gatehouse until mid-night. I’d normally commiserate but there is a benefit to it, namely that I’m freed up from doing that task today so, ‘tough luck’, Sergeant. Which just leaves Boots unaccounted for.”

All eyes swivelled in my direction.

“Boots, the Commandant and Captain Davis seem to think that you might have had something to do with our camping trip to the woods today. I can’t imagine why.” More chuckles all round. “They’ve signed this off for you.”

Kyle passed me a piece of paper torn from Jackson’s notebook. An impromptu, but obviously very valid, ‘pass out’, written by Jackson and signed by the Commandant. I looked at it, then at the guys. This is good. I’ve been noticed again by the people that matter. But I also have to do something with it.

“Kyle, I’ve got my boxing training, then some swimming, this afternoon. This pass doesn’t have my name on it so instead of letting it go to waste, I want to give it to Shane. I think there might be somebody in town he’d like a chance to see. In fact, depending on who is on Orderly Duty at the gatehouse, two people might even get out on it, and Will was saying something about needing a new flux capacitor for Lemon Steroids… “

Kyle and Nathan looked at each other, then Kyle smiled. “Well, I’m not the one checking passes this afternoon, Sergeant so I guess it’s your call, but a new flux capacitor might come in useful!”

Will wasn’t waiting for a decision, he just punched the air and shouted “Yes!” before turning to Noah, Travis and Shane. “We can go bowling too, just like we used to, and even catch a movie if we get off promptly on the first mini-bus out.”

* * *

I skipped lunch, after all I’d just had a really good meal of Travis’s sausages and hash browns out in the field, got changed into sports gear and set off over to the gym. As I passed the main hall I glanced inside and yes, there were still some cadets sorting out their new field kit. By going two at a time in the late afternoon when the storeman wasn’t busy, we’d been able to try on our new uniforms and load carrying kit in the storeroom itself and, more importantly ensure it fitted. The uniforms come in a range of different sizes, as do the backpacks, and the idea is to get the size that actually fits you. It’s not difficult. However, when you’re trying to equip almost a hundred cadets in under three hours, the cadets get handed kit that ‘looks about right’ in terms of size and have no option to check and change it before being ushered out the door. They then spend the next six months trying to make it fit them. Usually, the kit wins and the cadets end up getting shaped to fit it.

At the gym I went to the boxers’ changing room and got kitted up with everything except my gloves. With Travis being away in town I needed some help finishing off the taping on my hands and then putting the gloves on, and as I was early there was no-one else around to help out. I wandered out into the gym to do some skipping until somebody like Connor or Jayden turned up – they’re often amongst the first to arrive – and stopped off by the noticeboard to see if Coach had posted any of the preliminary fixtures yet. He had.

The heavyweights were at the top of the list, with bouts listed for Jackson, Connor and Jayden against guys from other schools beginning in about three weeks’ time. Then there were some bouts for the middleweights, then the lightweights and flyweights. There weren’t any contenders listed for the welterweights. That should be me. I checked again, this time going over the middleweights very carefully to see if I had been entered under that category. I’m only a few pounds off the light middleweight limit and so maybe Coach is thinking that by the end of the semester I might be fighting up a grade. I could take some tips on bodybuilding and weight training from Travis. That should get me another five pounds of muscle in no time at all, especially if I double up on steaks and fish every meal like he does.

I’m not listed under the middleweights. I unpinned the paper and turned it over to see if there was anything on the back. There wasn’t. That’s wrong. I’m meant to have some bouts soon to start qualifying for the New England States’ Schools’ Championships. I can’t just go straight to the finals unless I win some bouts to qualify. Well, not usually. I guess it could happen in theory if there aren’t many welterweight contenders and so I just get a bye straight to the final series of elimination bouts. That’s pretty unusual though, welterweight and the lower middleweight categories are generally the most common weights for schoolboy boxing. Not many of us get up to the heavyweight categories like Jackson. I need to check this out with Coach, make sure I have got a bye through to the elimination round. It’s possible. There were those guys here from the NESS boxing administration at my exhibition match on Parents’ Weekend. They saw me fight against Jackson. Maybe they have given me a bye. I impressed everyone.

I spent about twenty minutes doing some skipping and then about the same time again doing some weight training on small free weights until I saw Jayden arriving and heading off to the changing room. I re-stacked the weights and set off to find him. He can tape my hands and he’ll probably know more about the fixture list too. I’m always the last to find out about anything. People just assume I know stuff. I don’t know stuff if people don’t tell me.

Jayden was where I expected him to be, in the boxers’ changing room.

“Hi, Jayden.”

Jayden looked up as I entered the room and grunted.

“How are you doing, Jayden?”

He nodded and muttered something, then carried on changing.

“Have you seen the fixture list? You’re on it. Connor and Jackson too.”

Jayden was half facing me now as he stripped off his shirt and threw it over the row of pegs at the end of the bench. It caught on one of the pegs and stayed put. If I tried that it would just slip off and onto the floor. Just look at him. Those biceps. Those pecs. Abs too. If Jackson wasn’t around it would be Jayden everybody would be talking about as the next state champion. He really did dish out some punishment to Jackson in the exhibition match. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they end up against each other in the final at championships. Maybe that is why Coach has been careful to enter them in different weight categories, doubling his chances of getting some silverware this season.

“And so?” I started. Jayden is looking straight at me. Like he’s seen me staring at him.

“I think I must have got a bye straight through to the second round, Jayden. My name’s not on the list of first round fixtures.”

Jayden just looked at me as he continued to undress. I glanced away as he unfastened his belt and unbuttoned his trousers. Making eye contact wouldn’t be good.

“You really don’t get a message easily do you?” he said as he slipped his trousers off. “If you’re not on the list, Coach didn’t enter you. Nobody gets a bye, especially at welter- or light middleweight. You’ve outlived your usefulness. In case you have problems reading between the lines, Wright, I’ll spell it out, plain and simple: fuck off!”

That can’t be right! He’s just trying to wind me up. Coach promised me a crack at a title after my exhibition match with Jackson. And Jackson still needs to practice with me, keep his speed and agility up. There’s nobody else here can push him as hard as I do.  Jayden’s just being an arse.

“What’s up, Jayden, getting jealous? Not getting enough ring time with Jackson?”

I’m not stupid. I cleared out of there pretty damn quick after saying that. Jayden will know what I meant by it.

I went back into the gym and over to the Coach’s office, I could see he was back from lunch now.

“Hi Coach.”

Coach looked up from his desk and shoved some papers to one side. He nodded, sat back in his chair, looked at me.

“You’re not training today, Wright.”

“Coach?”

“You heard.”

“What do you mean, ‘not training’? Of course I’m training. Even if I’ve got a bye through the first stages I still need to train.”

“No bye to the eliminator rounds, Wright, you’re simply not entered. As for training, I think we’ll manage just fine without you.”

What the fuck is going on? I’ve worked hard for a chance of a competitive fight. Everybody knows I stand a chance of winning a title. I’m just as good as anybody else here, even Jackson. I can win a cup for the college. What’s Coach playing at? He can’t be dropping me from the squad. He’s no right to. This doesn’t make sense. Last week he was playing ‘Hearts of Oak’ for me, now he’s ditching me?

“Coach, what’s going on? I can win a title. I’m good enough. You have to let me have a crack at a proper fight. I can win. You know I’m good.”

I could see it in his eyes. This isn’t a wind up. He’s not going to let me fight. Why the fuck not? I really am good enough. Coach stood up, stepped towards me. Yeah, he’s bigger than me, stronger too. Like that’s going to intimidate me. He won’t touch me.

“You’re bad news, Wright. Did you think your reputation wouldn’t catch up with you? That you could just come here and carry on as if nothing had happened? The new pool supervisor used to work at Oakdale High. So now I know why you left there. The real story. You could win a dozen cups and I wouldn’t put a single one of them in our trophy cabinet. It would be an insult to anyone else with a trophy in there. You collected your trophies at Oakdale, Wright, but don’t expect to get any here. Now get out of my sight, you’re done boxing.”

I stood there, fuming, Coach’s words ringing in my ears. He can’t do this to me. He’s right up against me, almost pressing his face to mine. As if he’s trying to provoke me. I’d love to punch his lights out. He knows it. He actually wants me to try it.

“I can’t stop you using the gym, but you’ll think twice before coming here if you’re wise. Once word gets round about what you did, decent guys like Connor and Jayden will be lining up to tear you apart. I don’t give a shit about you, Wright, but I don’t intend to have them lose their careers over you.”

“Best not to tell them then, Coach,” I spat back at him. “Anybody comes looking for me, I will take them down. Got that?”

* * *

Jayden was changed and in the gym, over by the punchbag, when I stormed out of the office. He watched me head off to the changing rooms but didn’t say anything, didn’t follow. There were a few other guys in the changing room when I got there, all talking about the fixture list, but none of them said anything to me other than a casual greeting. They probably don’t know yet. Coach won’t have told everybody. He’s too smart for that. I doubt he’s told anybody that can’t beat me.

I grabbed my bag and headed off down the corridor, round the back of the plant room, working my way to the swimming pool changing rooms through the maze of corridors. Strictly speaking, these are all off limits to cadets but who is going to know? It’s quicker this way than going back out through the gym and round outside to the other side of the building. Plus, this way, I don’t need to get changed into smarts just for a sixty second walk, then get changed into swimming gear again. I know why the rules exist, to make us all look smart, all the time, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to bend them a little.

When I burst into the pool changing room there were only a handful of guys in there to look up in surprise as the door almost flew off its hinges. Most of them were just there to swim, the water polo guys aren’t due for another hour. I’d normally have been doing my boxing right now.

“Somebody ought to phone Kansas, tell them we found their lost tornado,” said a familiar voice. It was Riley, Nat’s swim buddy. He pushed his bag further along the bench to make space for me by his side. It wasn’t exactly as if the room was crowded, but I went over to him anyway. I need to keep calm, not attract too much attention. Not let Coach or Jayden get to me. Think things through before I act.

“From what I hear,” said another guy, ”We should consider ourselves lucky he didn’t throw a grenade in first before kicking the door down. Apparently the guys from the Reservation are now all ninja trained. Scalped the Commandant and blew up Captain Davis this morning.”

Riley was laughing. “Yes, I heard something similar too…”

I kicked off my boxing shoes and started to get changed into my new jammers. As I took my boxing vest off Riley grimaced when he saw the bruise where Travis had kicked me.

“Boots, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without bruises, or a cut lip, or a bloody nose. Can’t you take up a safer sport than boxing? Blindfold chainsaw juggling, or shaving, something like that?” I’m used to Riley, I can just tune his comments out. Not rise to the bait.

“Yeah, he’s a prime example of the damaged goods they keep in the Reservation.” It was the smart arse who’d joked about the hand grenade. I’d only taken half a step towards him when Riley put out his arm and said, quietly, “Don’t, Boots.” It didn’t matter, Riley needn’t have worried. I’d already decided I wasn’t going to hit the guy. Just make him think I might. I’m in enough trouble already without splattering another cadet’s face all over the walls.

Some people think it’s boring, just churning up and down the pool, over and over again, but it helps me think. By the time the water polo team arrived for practice I’d not only burned off some excess energy but I’d also formulated a plan. Even if Coach doesn’t spread word about me, something’s going to get out. If the new pool supervisor told Coach, he’ll tell other people. It seems like Jayden already knows something. I need to do some damage limitation, and do it fast.

* * *

Once water polo practice was done I quickly changed into my smarts and headed back to the dorm to ditch my bag and put my kit in the washers down in the basement. Get rid of the chlorine. Once that was done, I walked down to the gatehouse where Nathan was on duty, checking passes and ensuring the mini-bus was doing its trips on time. Well, Nathan wasn’t actually doing the work of course, he was sat in an armchair listening to music on his headphones and doing some studying whilst two cadet privates were busy going outside to raise the barrier to let cars and the bus in and out and check stuff. Nathan is only there to supervise and provide authority. He only needs to get involved if he wants to, or something happens that the privates can’t handle. Like if a parent or visitor comes on site unexpectedly, or somebody senior to the privates gets stroppy.

Nathan looked up as I entered and took his headphones off. “Come to try and wangle your way into town, Boots? Shouldn’t have given your pass away. Besides, the mini-bus has just left, won’t be back for nearly an hour.”

“No Nat, I wanted to see you.”

Nat looked surprised and put his book down. “Okay, Boots fire away.”

“I want to see Cadet Captain Jackson. Can you make me an appointment?”

For a moment Nathan said nothing, just sat and looked at me, then turned to the two privates who were looking out of the window down towards the highway and trying hard to appear as if they weren’t listening. “You two, as we’ve got a bit of a lull, you can take twenty minutes to go up to the ante-room and get yourself a drink and a snack. I’ll guard the fort. Bring me back a Danish pastry.”

“Thanks, Nat,” I said as the two privates scurried out of the gatehouse and back up the drive towards the college.

“That sounds pretty formal, Boots. Making you an appointment. I thought you and him got along okay now? You could just go and find him at tea one day, or after a meal. It would be just as quick as waiting until he’s on duty and has time to see you.” Nathan paused, but when I didn’t answer immediately, he didn’t leave me stewing.

“I’m presuming that this is something that you feel needs doing properly, Boots.”

“Yes, Nat.”

“Not something you can tell me about? Most things aren’t too serious or difficult to fix at this level. Or if you really do need somebody more senior, Kyle will always help out. As an officer he has virtually as much authority as Jackson.”

“No, Nat. Sorry, but it has to be Jackson.”

“Okay, I can ask for you. It might take a day or two, I’m not even sure he’s on site now and even if he is he probably won’t want disturbing until Monday morning unless it’s a real emergency. Can you give him a break? Will it wait until Monday?”

I thought for a moment. “Yes Nat, it can wait until Monday to see him, I don’t want to disturb his weekend, but just ask him for me. Please?”

“Okay Boots, I will do if it’s what you want, and you’re sure it isn’t something you can sort out with me or Kyle. Would you want one of us to come with you, give you some back up? Or are you planning to grass me and Kyle up, tell Jackson all about our escape tunnel and the secret moonshine still?” He was smiling to lighten the mood, but I knew he was serious about his suggestion that either him or Kyle would go with me.

“No. Thanks Nat, but no. I can do this on my own.”

I have to do this on my own. The fewer people involved in this the better. I’m still not sure getting Jackson involved is my greatest ever idea, but it’s the best I can think of for now. Anyway, I have to tell him. He’s the senior cadet. He’s in charge of discipline and standards and all that stuff. He needs to know what’s likely to blow up on his watch. I owe that to him.

Nathan looked at me and then said. “Boots, do something for me. Go to the ante-room or one of the common rooms and socialise a little before dinner. I’m stuck here and the guys are all out in town – you giving away your pass to Shane and Will was a great thing to do, but it does mean the dorm is going to be empty until ten tonight. Don’t sit around and brood about whatever is on your mind. Something clearly is. Will you do that for me?”

“Yes, Nat, I’ll do that. I might ask a couple of guys from Car Club if they want to come and get thrashed at Grand Theft Auto if it’s okay for me to use the console and screen.”

“Yes, that’ll be fine Boots. Oh, and another thing, I had a pass out agreed for next weekend before I got promoted and Kyle’s said he’ll honour it because I’m meant to be escorting mom to the opening of a new exhibition at the Carnegie gallery in Pittsburgh. Dad can’t make it, fortunately for him, so I’ve been delegated. You’re coming with me. It’ll keep me sane, and stop mom from constantly telling me I should ask you. My sister will be there but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have to suffer her too.”

* * *

From the gatehouse I went back to the dorm and decided to have a play at Grand Theft Auto until it was time for dinner. I didn’t feel like company though, so played on my own.  I know it’s just a game but it’s fun and passes the time, and you can really get wrapped up in it. The gaming chairs are brilliant! As the cars twist and turn on screen, the pressure pads in in the chairs activate and push against you, making it feel like you’re being squashed back into the seat by the g forces as you accelerate and corner. I know it’s actually the reverse of what happens in real life, but brains are easily fooled by feelings and the effect is amazing. The sound quality was good too: Will certainly made some good choices with the soundbar and speaker system. A complete system like this must cost a fortune. I know the screen alone cost five hundred dollars and the chairs will have cost more than that, each, probably. Back home dad would make me work for weeks, probably months even, before letting me have even a screen like this one. When he bought me my iPhone I was ‘rent a slave’ as he called me for ages, doing jobs around the base to earn it. The hardest was rolling the wicket on the cricket field every night in the lead up to a big Army v Navy match. That concrete roller was a beast because the wicket was on a slight slope. I had to drag it uphill in one direction, then try to stop it dragging me back downhill in the other direction. I definitely earned that iPhone.

I was so engrossed in the game that I almost didn’t hear my phone ring and only just managed to grab it in time to avoid the call being dropped. It was Jackson.

“Hi Boots, I hear you want to see me.”

For a moment I was stumped for what to say. I hadn’t expected Nathan to sort something out so quickly, and definitely not for Jackson to call me. I didn’t even know he had my number. Nathan must have given it to him.

“If you want a formal appointment, Boots,” continued Jackson, “I can arrange to see you in the Orderly Office first thing on Monday morning. It won’t matter if you miss your math class. But is that really necessary? I know you can do formal. We can take it for granted that you’ll be smart and with perfect drill. If whatever you want to talk about can be done informally, I can spare you half an hour right after dinner tonight. Would that do? Either in my room, or we can take a stroll round the grounds.”

“Thanks, Jackson, that would be good. If it’s not an inconvenience. Yes, tonight. I’ll see you after dinner. Thanks.”